Writing Exercise by William Ferriter
A Memorable Poem
What makes a poem memorable? Why do we remember some poems and not others? Qualities that memorable poems share, what are they?
To explore the mechanics of a memorable poem, and why it resonates in memory, we may revisit a few great poems, and ask what they have in common.
As a poem is both a printed work of art, as well as one that exists beyond the page, when spoken aloud, great memorable poems may resonate for a variety of reasons.
The mechanics of memorable poems often, but not always:
* resonate in the listener's ear when heard aloud
* use interesting words and phrases
* focus on human emotions
* surprise the reader with the unexpected
* use concrete language
Here are a two excerpts from well-known poems that share these qualities. From the Lake Isle of Innisfree by W.B. Yeats, the final four lines:
I will arise and go now, for always night and dayI hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements gray,
I hear it in the deep heart's core.
Also, in the final four lines of Emily Dickinson's This World is not Conclusion, the following:
Much Gesture, from the Pulpit—
Strong Hallelujahs roll—
Narcotics cannot still the Tooth
That nibbles at the soul—
Assonance, consonance and rhyme resonate in both excerpts, and both poems use concrete language, surprise the reader, focus on human emotions, and employ charg'd language.
Here is Bill Ferriter's thoughtful writing exercise to guide you through the steps in creating your own memorable poem.
Writing a Memorable Poem
Now that
you’ve explored the characteristics of
memorable poems, it’s time to begin writing a poem of your own. We’ll use the image below—which shows two
dirty, homeless boys alone on a street corner—as our prompt. You’ll want to see the image in color before
you write to get a better sense for the conditions the boys are living
in. After exploring the image carefully, work
through the steps in the table below to write your own poem.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rachdian/3860551699/sizes/o/
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Writing
a Memorable Poem |
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Questions
for Consideration |
Your Responses |
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Remember that many
of the
best poems are concrete.
Instead of
sharing complicated language, they appeal to the basic senses of their
audiences. Which senses come
to mind
when you look at this image? Which
senses would the boys in the image wrestle with on a daily basis? Would their bodies hurt? Why?
Would they be warm? Cold?
What would they be listening for? If you were
standing on the
same street, what would you hear?
Smell? Feel? See? |
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Many of the best
poems are unexpected,
either communicating with audiences in a nontraditional way or sharing
ideas
that are startling. Is there anything
surprising about this image? What
impact does that have on you as a reader?
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Many of the best
poems are emotional,
making viewers feel instead of simply think.
Influential people know that when they can tap into powerful
emotions
like joy, anger, hilarity, shame, fear or pain, their ideas are more
likely
to be remembered. Which emotion do
you think
is appropriate to try to get across in your poem about this image? Will that emotion resonate with
readers? Why? | |
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Many of the best
poets use interesting
words and phrases—or combinations of interesting words and
phrases—to
catch the attention of their readers. What words and/or
phrases
come to mind when you look at this image?
What words or phrases can be used to communicate the senses
that this
image reminds you of? The
emotions? The surprising situation? Remember to choose
the most
powerful words that come to mind! You
might even need to get out the thesaurus to make better choices. Circle the words and/or phrases in your
list that you feel communicate the strongest emotions, senses and
feelings. |
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Many of the best
poets pay
careful attention to how their poems sound
when read out loud. They use rhythm and
rhyme or word
combinations that are interesting to the ear. Look at this list
of poetry
techniques and decide which strategies you’d like to try to include in
your
poem. Your choice should be made based
on the emotions and feelings that you’re trying to communicate and the
kinds
of words in that you’ve already brainstormed.
Remember that you
don’t
have to use every strategy in this list, but you can use more than one
if it
works in your poem. Also remember that
the strategies that you use might be different from the strategies
used by your
peers. What’s important
is finding
strategies that work for the emotions, feelings, senses and/or ideas
that
you’re trying to communicate to readers.
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* Repetition: Poets often repeat powerful word and phrases
throughout the course of their poem. This can
add rhythm or draw the reader’s
attention to important ideas. * Alliteration:
Poets often repeat
consonant
sounds at the beginning of words: “To watch tadpoles and catch CRayfish * Assonance: Poets often
repeat vowel sounds in lines of their poems:
gIfts to skInny-dIppers from the cow’s pond down In the
pasture. * Consonance: Poets often
repeat consonant sounds in lines of their poems: “But
pleaSe don’t bother with the flieS, * Rhyme: Poets often
incorporate rhyming words into their poems.
Rhyming can be incorporated informally within a line or as a
part of a
pattern throughout an entire piece: “Fingers l-ICK, t-ICK-ling an
electr-IC crescendo.” * Onomatopoeia: Poets often
use words that sound like what they mean:
“The BUZZ of the bees leaves me
buckled on my knees. |
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Now it’s
time to write a first draft of your poem. While
drafting, don’t spend too much time thinking!
Instead, concentrate on getting your ideas down on paper. While it’s
important to
remember that you’re trying to communicate unexpected feelings, senses
and
emotions to your readers, it’s also important to remember that you can
always
revise and edit your work. When you’re
finished with
your first draft, circle the words and phrases that you’re proudest
of. Which words and phrases will catch the
attention of your readers? Why? Then, underline
words and
phrases that seem unnecessary—either because they don’t communicate
any new
information to the reader or because they’re uninteresting. |
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Remember that because poems are typically short pieces, EVERY choice that you make is super important! Changing one or two words to add consonance, assonance, alliteration, repetition, rhyme or onomatopoeia can make a huge difference in the overall quality of your final product.
Also remember to spend time reading your poem out loud while creating your final copy. Sound is an important element of quality poetry, so your piece has to read well orally in order to be completely appreciated.
Adapted from original work created by Bill Ferriter.
The
Tempered Radical
Digitally Speaking
Please write a poem of 30 lines or fewer, and submit it for consideration on the APW Forum/Guests' Pages. Email subject line: Memorable Poem.
Enjoy!